gitp_empirefandomcom-20200214-history
Fydias Jarrow
Fydias, also known as the Atheling, was a notorious figure in the Salterri Imperium and the Central North during the fifth and sixth centuries. Early life Fydias was the elder son of Alfwigg, the son of King Alfwyr the Rash, by his wife Matriarch Militae of the Priory of Ascension. By the time of Fydias's birth, his father had been disinherited on the basis of his religion, for the Great Charter indicated that only a follower of the Lord of Fire could succeed to the throne. The heir apparent was thus Alfwigg's half-brother Alfmark. When war broke out between the Priory and the Qzare in 420, Alfwigg and Militae joined the Priory, while Fydias and his brother Vyrias remained in Horbeach. Their safety had been assured by the king, with the intention that they would join their parents when the military situation allowed. However, during the attempted Ascensionist coup, the boys fled the capital for Salteire. With the simultaneous murder of Princess Dacari and the abduction of her daughter Seirwynn, it was widely believed that the boys had been taken too. Return to Jarrland During the uneasy peace of the 420s, Alfwigg eventually made his return to Jarrland along with his sons, and Fydias succeeded to the earldom of Jarburg upon his father's death. He was widely considered a curious but unremarkable individual, arrogant and insistent upon his rights as a member of the royal family despite his ineligibility to succeed to the throne, with mannerisms more reminiscent of the gentry of Anaphorica than the royalty or nobility of Jarrland. Secretly, however, Fydias had made contact with the rump movement of Ascensionist insurgents in the kingdom, led by the Earl of Isling. Their intention was ultimately to eliminate Alfmark and position Fydias as heir to the throne. He would marry Seirwynn, whom the group held prisoner, thus shoring up his claim. Fydias was enthusiastic about the plan, and reportedly wished to conduct the marriage to Seirwynn as soon as possible. According to later stories of her captivity, based on her testimony, he repeatedly tried to force himself upon her to exercise his "rights" as her husband-to-be, but was foiled on each attempt by her gaoler, Lord Carran. In the meantime, however, Seirwynn was being tracked by the Earl of Scowen and Martin Grant-Tremblor. In 428 they finally located her prison and stormed it, rescuing the princess and capturing Lord Carran. Seirwynn was traumatised from the years of captivity, while Carran initially refused to talk, but after patient interrogation eventually revealed the full details of the plot, including Fydias's involvement. The truth of the prince's involvement in the plot was dramatically revealed during the Third Grand Ball, where Seirwynn confronted and stabbed him repeatedly before any bystanders could intervene. Fydias was taken into custody, though spared the death penalty in light of his royal blood. The Ascendant Rumour had suggested that Alfmark intended to treat his nephew less leniently than King Athelmere had, and whether spurred by this or simply aggrieved by his incarceration, Fydias escaped from custody at some point in the early 430s. In the late 450s, small sects of Ascension followers began to appear in the central north... Category:Characters Category:Humans Category:Characters of Telluris